British climber Kenton Cool has broken his own record by summiting Mount Everest for the 19th time, making him the non-Sherpa with the most ascents of the world’s highest peak. The 51-year-old reached the 8,849-meter summit on Sunday at 11:00 a.m. local time, accompanied by Nepali Sherpa Dorji Gyaljen, who completed his 23rd climb.
Cool, who first conquered Everest in 2004, has made the climb almost annually since. Despite his record, he previously downplayed it, pointing out that many Nepali Sherpas, like Kami Rita (with 30 summits), far exceed his count.
This milestone comes during a tragic week on Everest, where at least two climbers died. Cool had hinted on social media days earlier that a favorable weather window had opened for his attempt. Fellow climbers and adventurers praised his achievement, calling him a respected figure with decades of mountain experience.
